User blog:ShinyRaikou/Wall of Shame
Last night the Senate voted on the Manchin-Toomey Bill. The Manchin-Toomey Bill was a moderate gun control bill that expanded background checks to gun shows and internet sales. 90% of the American public, along with a majority of Senators, more than 80% of Republicans, Democrats, NRA members, and gun owners, supported this bill. It was a bipartisan bill proposed by West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (Democrat) and Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey (Republican), both of whom had A ratings from the NRA. It seems like a no brainer right? But even with everyone supporting it, even with it getting more votes in the Senate, the bill died. Why? Because of Rand Paul and Wayne La Pierre. The NRA is simply a mouthpiece for the gun industry, much like the National Smoker's Alliance was for the cigarette industry was in the eighties. They're given big bucks from the gun industry to fight any piece of gun legislation, no matter how moderate, popular, or logical the law is, so gun sales don't go down. The NRA holds a grip over Congress, ensuring that every vote goes their way, and lying to the American public to turn them against the bill. They're so powerful, not even 90% of the American public and a majority of Senators can stop them. Most senators are just Wayne La Pierre's puppets, including Rand Paul. Rand Paul announced that he would filibuster any gun control bill that gets brought up. He won't read the bill, he won't allow debate, he won't allow a vote on the bill. The only way to stop his filibuster was sixty votes to begin debating the bill. Only 54 Senators were even willing to allow debate on the actual bill. Clearly, thee others don't care about the views of 90% of the American people, or think that they even deserve a vote. Following is a list of the 46 senators who opposed allowing a vote on the bill (in alphabetical order) and just voted against the wishes of 90% of their nation. Wall of Shame Republicans: Lamar Alexander (TN); Kelly Ayotte (NH); John Barrasso (WY); Roy Blunt (MO); John Boozman (AR); Richard M. Burr (NC); Saxby Chambliss (GA); Daniel Coats (IN); Tom Coburn (OK); Thad Cochran (MS); Bob Corker (TN); John Cornyn (TX); Michael Crapo (ID); Ted Cruz (TX); Michael B. Enzi (WY); Deb Fischer (NE); Jeff Flake (AZ); Lindsey Graham (SC); Chuck Grassley (IA); Orrin G. Hatch (UT); Dean Heller (NV); John Hoeven (ND); James M. Inhofe (OK); Johnny Isakson (GA); Mike Johanns (NE); Ron Johnson (WI); Mike Lee (UT); Mitch McConnell (KY); Jerry Moran (KS); Lisa Murkowski (AK); Rand Paul (KY); Rob Portman (OH); Jim Risch (ID); Pat Roberts (KS); Marco Rubio (FL); Tim Scott (SC); Jeff Sessions (AL); Richard Shelby (AL); John Thune (SD); David Vitter (LA); Roger Wicker (MS) Democrats: Max Baucus (MT); Mark Begich (AK); Heidi Heitkamp (ND); Mark Pryor (AR); Harry Reid (NV)*. (*Reid supported the bill but voted against it for procedural reasons) Category:Blog posts